The stress bucket

We all know it: when our stress bucket is full we don't function as well, we become difficult, we have a shorter temper and we become forgetful.

We know it, but we don't always recognize it. We often go way too far until we notice that we really can't anymore and only then do we slow down. Recognizable?

Our dogs also have a stress bucket. This is usually not recognized. A dog trainer is only summoned when the bucket has already overflowed three times. It's when the dog shows unacceptable behavior. This can manifest itself in biting in everything, walking around like a madman in the house or garden, nipping in hands or in everything it can find, excessive barking, etc. In very bad cases it can be that the dog completely surrenders and gets depressed. This dog is lethargic and doesn't feel like doing anything.

A practical example:

You take your dog to a family member, you stay there for a few hours while the children play with the dog. Then you quickly go to the market or to a busy shopping street. The weather is nice, so you decide to have a drink on the busy terrace after shopping. Your dog lays down quietly and sleeps all the time. This seems great! What a good dog.

Same story from the dog's perspective:

I have to sit in this sweltering car, I can't feel the A/C properly in the back, I'm getting stuffy. Finally, we get out! Two children come running towards me. I show stress signals but they are not recognized. The children are jumping around my neck, I don't like this at all. I show more stress signals, but they are not recognized. Oh good, I'm getting something to drink. The children are making a lot of noise and I can smell all kinds of unfamiliar smells here. It's pretty overwhelming here. I check in with my owner, who is busy talking. She pets me on the head, which I don't like at all. I try to find a quiet place, but the children still hang around me. Oh no, back in that warm car. Fortunately, we get out again. What is this? All unfamiliar smells, all legs busily walking around me. I want to leave, but I can't. Boss sits down. I plop down, I-can't-anymore.

The above example to give you an impression of how this all feels to the dog. Some 'highly sensitive' people will recognize this more easily. For the owner it seems like she has a super good dog with which she can sit on a terrace, but in fact the dog is just completely broken.

This dog is also very 'good', he undergoes it all. Another type of dog might have already started barking, or jumping up, or snapping…

In order to process all these impressions, a dog has to sleep. Sleep is extremely important for our dogs.

There are of course dogs where this doesn't have to be so stressful, but for a lot of dogs it is. I notice it in the puppies. Most puppies are so easily overstimulated. This used to be less the case. This has partly to do with breeding policy but also with our lives. We live increasingly rushed and the dogs must be able to follow. Look at your dog, he's trying to tell you to slow down.